Opera Cultura presents the Northern California premiere of the bilingual opera Frida by Mexican-American composer Robert Xavier Rodriguez. The highly regarded opera, which incorporates music from Mexican folk traditions, tells the dramatic story of the life of Frida Kahlo, one of the most visionary and iconic artists of the twentieth century.
Sung in both Spanish and English, Frida is the story of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, wife of the country’s great muralist Diego Rivera. Her tortured life unfolds in a flowing succession of scenes. Diego’s preoccupation with art and other women shrivel Frida’s soul and her demands for love drain him; they need one another desperately. Divorce is imminent. Frida’s health deteriorates; only painting permits emotional release, translating her agonies into a series of canvases. Her fate is to live alone, engulfed by pain, but her paintings live forever, reflecting hidden dreams and inspiring courage to transcend conventional boundaries.